My question primarily stems from videos such as this one.
I'm trying to understand RIR (reps in reserve) and proximity-to-failure training. I’ve read that 1-3 RIR is the sweet spot for growth with taking only 10% of working sets to near-failure, but I’m confused about how external factors affect that number.
In the first 2 and a half months of this year, I suffered heavily from too much intensity at the gym resulting in nightmare levels of systemic fatigue. My first question is:
####Question #1 -- Can I manipulate my rest times to reach "effective reps" faster?
The longer I rest, the more reps-in-reserve I have at the initiation of my 2nd or 3rd set. Can I "gamify" my rest times and try to aim to start my 2nd & 3rd set as soon as I feel like I'll be able to do a max of 8 reps? That way my first or second rep is already close to failure and counts as an effective rep? Or have I completely lost the plot?
####Question #2 -- Relative verses absolute RIR math
Let’s say I get 4 hours of sleep, eat a 12-pack of Snickers bars for breakfast, get into a 3-hour pointless fight with my wife or girlfriend, and show up to the gym at my normal time. Is it possible that even if I push myself in working sets to near failure, that I won't have done any effective reps and simply performed a bunch of junk volume because I'm mentally unfit to gain strength or hypertrophy? My reason for asking is because I do a tremendous amount of effort getting mentally & physically ready for my gym sessions. It definitely helps me lift harder and put in more volume.
####Question #3 -- Does proximity to failure in earlier sets complicate the RIR math in sets done in the latter half of my workout?
From my own experiments, I'm able to perform about 40% more weight on the final 60% of my working sets if I "phone it in" on my first 2 compound lifts (3 sets each) at the beginning of my workout, after warming up with 10 warmup reps at 50% of 1RM. My reason for sharing the AST screenshot at beginning of this post is because it's a measure of liver/muscle damage and is my only testament that I tried to bring "David Goggins intensity" to the gym everyday for the first 2 and a half months of this year.
I ask these questions as a beginner because I'm new to weightlifting. I've been doing it less than a year. My knowledge primarily comes from youtubers such as Flow High Performance, Huberman, Andy Galpin, Jeff Nippard, and Mike Israetel.
For RIR the best way is a spotter when you start,
Train to actual failure so you know what it is and what it feels like.
Most people don't genuinely train to failure or 3rir.
The next tip is go lighter for the start, really feel the tension and strain in the target muscle group. You're benching and failing because your triceps give out then you're not pushing through your pectorals enough etc. Lighter weight can help you find the right technique and hitting failure with 60kg bench is a lot safer then hitting failure with 120kg.
Second point you can't gamify they system and take shorter breaks etc since you should aim to do your next set when you are recovered. No longer labourerd breathing. Unless you are training to a system that says 45 second rest then hit what you can.
Al though there are many different methods, such as myo reps in which you just kinda keep going.
The snickers bare thing, you wouldn't put water in your cars fuel tank and expect it to perform so don't put junk in your body and expect the same results. Same goes with servicing your car and maintaining your body. Rest and relaxation are super important to ensure peak performance.
Sure eating 10 snikers might get you to the gym and get through a workout but a healthy meal is better.
The biggest thing I can say though is just keep at it and don't overcomplicate things. If you're deadly serious get a trainer
The "rule" I was taught and try to stick with is as follows:
3 minute rest for "big compounds" (squat, RDL, benchpress)
2 minutes for "small compounds" (row, assisted pullups, etc)
1 minute for isolation (lateral raises, tricep extensions, etc)
Prior to this year, I would go to the gym and typically do 2 or 3 sets with 10 minute rest times between sets then do a half hour of treadmill since weight loss was my primary focus, prior to January 2026 but I've shed over 100 pounds in 2 years and am looking now to strength train.